Lent 4 - At the Party

Here's a link to this week's Gospel text:

http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/lectionary/CLent/cLent4.htm


When my younger brother turned one, I was upset.

Let's be honest: you don't get more attention on any birthday your entire life than when you're one year old. Your party is a chance to showcase to the world the talents you've been practicing for 365 days.

Aaron, my brother, made me pretty jealous. I was four at the time, the tender age at which I realized that the world should revolve around, well, me. As family and friends began to arrive for Aaron's party, I quickly found myself wanting what he had: attention.

So, as any good four year old would do, I laid out my case. Well, to be more precise, I cried, and cried, and after the second spell of sobbing had ceased I explained that I wanted a party for me, too.

I wanted to feel special.


That's what we see in this Gospel text. Imagine yourself as a character from Christ's story. Your younger brother returns, and the whole time, while he's done just about everything wrong, you've been taking care of dad and helping out to run things back home. And then, when your screw-up brother returns, dad throws a gigantic party.

Or, maybe you're walking down a long, dirty road with only one hope, that you're father will let you be one of his hired crew. And then you find that, despite how irrational it is, you're welcomed back with an embrace that makes you believe that you're the most important person in the world.

So, where are we at the party? How do we respond to God's love?